The human body is a curious specimen. Until recently, I rarely saw my body other than my physical nature: my hair; my arm; my leg; my toe. Yet, the human body is something much more than limbs and extremities. It is our best friend; our significant other; the being that knows us best.

Lesson # 15: Listen to your body.

For the past couple of weeks my body has had drama. I was in week eight of training for the New York City Half Marathon. It all started on a Monday. My body’s nose tickled; it began to sneeze, one gigantic exertion of germs after another. By Tuesday, my body had a full-fledged cold packed with fatigue and a stuffed nose. It was your average cold, so I thought nothing of it. There was no need to be a diva about it. So, I kept running.

Flash-forward to one week later, my body’s cold started to calm like the sky before a storm. Out of nowhere, my body’s rib began to ache. The aching bothered my body more than the cold did, but it was only a mild pain. Again, there was no need for my body to be a drama queen. So, I kept running.

Flash-forward to this past Monday (day 15 of dramaville), my body’s back gave out while I was doing laundry. The tornado hit and I finally reacted. As my body lay on the floor, I, a grown woman, cried pathetically like a baby. The only other thing I could do was ask myself, “Why did I hurt? What did I do to my body to deserve the hurt?”

The moral of my story is to listen to your body. You, your mind, your soul, has an incredible relationship with your external self. My body was asking me for a day off, but my mind told me that keeping up with my training schedule was more important. The reality is that without the support of my body I won’t get very far in my half marathon on March 15. But, mind over matter, right? Okay. Without the support of my body I won’t get to enjoy my half marathon or perform to my greatest ability.

So, the next time your body sneezes or aches, ask your body if it needs rest. If you don’t, your body will have drama and inevitably drag you into it.